Why Towns Are Falling In Love With Golf Carts

The Atlantic ^ | October 5, 2015 | Henry Grabar

[2ndDivisionVet]

One of the promotional videos for The Villages, Central Florida’s city of the old, is all about golf carts. Picture a Boomer’s take on Pimp My Ride: Some carts are souped up to look like Model Ts, fire trucks, or Thunderbirds, or colored to rep a hometown sports team. In a city with no native sons, the carts are expressions of identity.

They’re also a central mode of transportation. In The Villages, according to the book Young-Old: Urban Utopias of an Aging Society by architect Deane Simpson, there are 50,000 golf carts and 90 miles of dedicated golf-cart infrastructure. Autocentric facilities like drive-ins and car washes have been adapted. Golf-cart bridges and paths lead to golf-cart parking. One-third of trips, in this city of 110,000, are taken by cart....

[AlaskaErik]

Ugh! My wife wants one of those things. I have no desire to be part of that culture. They take up valuable garage space, are slow, are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I've had all kinds of toys, like an airplane, Harley, snow machine, but I have no desire to ever own a golf cart.

[pepsionice]

This would have happened in the early 90’s but there’s nothing special about the plain vanilla golf cart. If you look around today....they sell you kits to upgrade your cart in terms of looks or you can have it pimped out in various looks. The golf cart of today is highly desired. And speed wise....they’ve all gotten themselves ‘enhanced’.

[AlaskaErik]

In the Villages....

Isn't that the venereal disease capital of Florida?

[BBell]

Not too long ago you could get on for free. I think they stopped that program though.

Electric Golf Cart Tax Credit

[BBell]

[usconservative]

Isn't that the venereal disease capital of Florida?

I thought the Villages was God's waiting room. (Like the rest of FloriDUH)

[ChocChipCookie]

I’d love a golf cart if I thought it would be safe to drive on my small city’s streets.

[V K Lee]

Correct. FREE just ask John Stossel

[Vince Ferrer]

I think this could have enourmous potential if the pathways would also allow self driving delivery robots.

[Bratch]

Bubba is on the right track.

[BBell]

I really wish I would have bought one. I could have turned around and sold it when the tax expired and made some good money.

[alexander_busek]

Ugh! My wife wants one of those things. I have no desire to be part of that culture. They take up valuable garage space, are slow, are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I've had all kinds of toys, like an airplane, Harley, snow machine, but I have no desire to ever own a golf cart.

But they cost less than full-sized automobiles, their environmental footprint is smaller (less raw materials to construct them, less fuel to power them = better mpg), they are quieter, parking spaces can be smaller, they can't kill anyone... The list of advantages goes on!

Regards,

[umgud]

A few modifications and a Chevy V8, and you’ll fit right in.

[beaversmom]

Some fun ones. I like small stuff. :)

[Jane Long]

Hmmmm....sounds very similar to the Scooter Store scheme.

[Jane Long]

So cool!

[BBell]

But this one was for real. John Stossel even did a piece on it. If I remember correctly he even bought one and used the tax credit.

2/9/10 John Stossel gets free $6500 golf cart courtesy of taxpayers

[wideminded]

The Village was where the The Prisoner was sent. Some of these planned communities seem similar.

[eastforker]

I love my golf cart and I am no where near a golf course. The wife and I love to take an evening drive through the neighborhood and the dog loves to take her daily ride. Mine is gas powered, can ride all month on a couple gallons.